Poll - How has the economy affected you coin budget?

ProofCents

Just wondering how the ecomony has affected your coin buying budget?

renomedphys

None really. I have bought about the same amount of coins, if not more. The difference is, I have taken on a lot more debt than I usually would need to to support this level of buying.

Keyrock

My biggest challenge is find the right coins and quality.

Mistercoinman

Before the economy got tough, I would buy coins that I normally would not collect just to speculate. Now I only buy what I collect.

speety

Maybe buying a little more but about the same. Some 'fresher' coins have come up lately so this may be why the spending hasn't gone down.

scottgardener

I got back into coin collecting with a vengeance about a year ago BECAUSE of the economy. It seemed to be on a downward spiral even then, but now, it's rediculous! I'm now spending on coins what I used to spend mainly on tech toys. But, I suspect that even when the economy gets better, my habits will remain changed, since a computer is busy depreciating even as it sits on the shelf at Best Buy, whereas a good coin collection gains value over time.

I am having to spend less than I'd like, and lately I'm thinking of cracking down on whim-spending and concentrating on fewer, better specimens. I already knew I wouldn't be getting a complete set of Morgan Dollars this year, but rather than trying for a dozen MS63 common dates, I think it's better to apply that towards one really good S or CC deep mirror, or an MS66. Unless the cheaper one has a special eye appeal, that is; I have no regrets on a recent toned MS63 that's still in the mail back.

I've also been a bit busy up-trading, taking for instance a stack of coins worth little more than their silver content and trading them in for my first MS65 Morgan. I've culled quite a bit already, and my collection today takes up about a third as much space as it did a year ago, even though it's worth five times as much. I've been kind of reluctant to let go of, say, a standing liberty quarter if it's my only one. I'm keeping my one really circulated specimen until I have a chance to replace it with a really nice uncirculated or rare date one. (Actually, I'm keeping a lot of my raw silver coins for their bullion content, so that's not the best example, but something that is worth a bit more, like a raw AU walking liberty gets to go to the trade stack.)

sonoranmonsoon

I must admit, I do not have as much available cash for my coin hobby as I had hoped this year. I am still buying items I need to fill holes, but have had to pass on opportunities to upgrade several times.

OnlyGoldIsMoney

I am still buying coins but typically they are modern US commem coins for little or no premium over their bullion melt value.

Jayne1080

The problem I am having right now is just keeping up with the collections I've started. The Presidential Series of MS coins I started has turned into a spending spree that I did not count on. Position A, Position B, Satin Finish and errors are eating up all my collecting budget. I think the mint has gone nuts with all the new designs they are putting out. I am also a little upset that the first Lincoln cent put out in 2009 was not a wheat cent identical to the 1909 VDB with the exception of the date. I feel that they missed the mark on that one. I am keeping up with my modern Commemorative collection both in PR and MS, and trying to get my 20th Century Type set into the top five in order to get them Pedigreed. Expensive to say the least.